


Dance the night away with me

by seopphicsj



Category: (여자)아이들 | (G)I-DLE
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Dance Instructor Soojin, F/F, Fluff, I don't know how to write angst, Modern Royalty, Mutual Pining, Princess Shuhua
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-23 18:06:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30059436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seopphicsj/pseuds/seopphicsj
Summary: “You know, for a really fine dancer,” Soojin murmured, her lips grazing the side of the princess’ face at their closeness, “You’re doing an equally fine job at pretending you’re terrible at dancing. I’ve seen you dancing alone in the practice room. You’re better than this.” The princess blushed harder - caught out.
Relationships: Seo Soojin/Yeh Shuhua
Comments: 5
Kudos: 74





	1. Her Royal Highness

If there is one thing that Shuhua loves doing is dancing around their castle garden. It’s not like she has anything else to do in this  _ old and crippling  _ (not really) castle of theirs. She loves that she is able to dance her heart out with a made up tune she will hum to herself. Shuhua would say she is a very skilled dancer. Often praised by her old dance instructors for her elegant movements and ability to create steps to any songs played, Shuhua by now should’ve been confident of her dance skills. After all, she is one of the most talented dancers in the kingdom - as her instructors would say. 

Shuhua is not shy, she can’t be. She was brought up just like how any royalty would have been. Having to interact with countless people, being the center of attention during royal gatherings does not bother her in any way. However, Shuhua is very secretive about her dancing, only showing this talent to hardly anyone but her parents, teachers, and accidentally to their gardener, who had caught her dancing alone in the garden. Thankful to that kind gardener who left her alone but not after smiling and bowing at the young girl once they noticed what the princess was doing.

She mindlessly wandered around the garden with another tune playing in her head, urging her limbs to act on its own and move with the tune. Shuhua let out a sigh of solace as she fell into a new dance routine, although a bit worried that someone might see her again in this state. Regardless, she let her mind ease to the sound of the wind breezing through the trees and bushes that somehow matches the sound playing on Shuhua’s head.  _ I could do this forever. _

Dancing until the night came, Shuhua was exhausted to say the least but she has no regrets. She would do this a hundred,  _ no _ , a million times if she could. Calling it a day, she decided to head back inside to prepare for bed and finally get some rest. 

As she made her way back into the castle, she saw one of their helpers waiting by the door with a creased forehead, one that quickly dissipated once she caught sight of the princess. The said helper quickly made her way to meet the princess and assist her inside. “Your Royal Highness, we’ve been looking everywhere for you. The Queen ordered us to fetch you but you weren’t in your room. We figured you 're in the garden and know that you don’t like anyone bothering you there. I know how you like wondering off, princess, but this seems like a very important matter. Please see to meet your parents once you’ve changed into your night clothes.”

Shuhua could only nod and she went straight to her room, took a quick bath and hastily put on her nightgown - maybe a bad idea as she tripped on this long ass gown, almost bumping her head on the bed frame. There were a lot of questions going through her head as she went to her parent’s chambers, for one; why was the Queen, her mother, asking for her immediate presence at this hour, they normally would’ve been busy and could care less about the princess’ whereabouts. As long as she made sure to attend her private classes, Shuhua was free to do anything she wanted after -  _ within the vicinity of the castle, that is. _

A soft knock was heard before the princess entered her parent’s room. The palace was a bit bigger than hers, not that it mattered but she always hated going here. It’s too dark and musky, almost suffocating her. The room was barely lit with only a night lamp illuminating the four walls of the room, making Shuhua think that her parents might have actually gone to sleep. Turning her gaze to the bed, she saw no figure there.  _ Weird. _

“Ah, you’re here.” Disturbed by the sudden sound, she felt her soul almost leaving her body. Shuhua turned to face her mother who most likely just came from the balcony. She studied the woman in front of her, albeit slightly wrinkled, her mother had the similar porcelain skin, a long black hair cascading down her petite figure, and a doll-like face everyone in the kingdom envied. “Took you long enough.”

Her mom motioned her to sit with her on the couch by the fireplace in which she obliged to. “I did not know you we’re looking for me. Besides, you would know where to find me.” It wasn’t hard to figure where Shuhua would be because if not in the castle garden, Shuhua would most likely be lounging in her room. Plus, it’s not like she was purposely hiding, people around the castle knew she just doesn’t like being disturbed during her idle time. “Why was I called here?”

“Do you know what date it is today?” Not what she was expecting, but then again, she doesn't know what to expect from this conversation. 

If a week ago was her monthly assessment, then today must be - “December 6th!” She still doesn’t know how this would relate to anything. She eyed her mother who was looking at her with an exasperated expression to which Shuhua responded with a confused look.

“And what date would it be, a month from now?”

“January 6th…” Shuhua trailed off. _January 6th._ _Why does this date look so important?_

At this point, her mom has her arms crossed across her chest, fighting the urge to frown as it would only add to the wrinkles she is trying so hard to get rid off. “Have you seriously forgotten your birth date?” 

“Oh right. My birthday.”  _ Sigh. _ Normally, people would be ecstatic to hear that their birthday is coming up. Well, non-royal people that is. Shuhua dreads that this day would come, but it’s not like she can also avoid it. In a matter of a month, she would step into her legality era. Gone are the days of Shuhua having all the time in the world. 

Like any other teenagers, Shuhua hates responsibilities. At a very young age, she was taught of all the things there is to know about being a princess; having the perfect posture, acquiring the right manners and values, concerning herself with the issues regarding their kingdom, and learning everything in the history of the Yeh family. What differs her from the people her age is that she was born with these responsibilities. It’s not something she can escape, considering she is the only child of the Royal Majesties. And being the only child means that on her 18th birthday, she is bound to choose a-

“ _ Oh God _ .” And suddenly, Shuhua is in a panic state. Her mother figured that Shuhua must have connected the dots in her head with how long the young girl was thinking. 

Ignoring her daughter’s panicked expression, the Queen proceeded to explain the plans for Shuhua’s birthday. “There will be a masquerade ball on your birthday and before you say anything, this tradition has been carried out from your great grandparents.” Of course Shuhua was aware of that, for what other reason was her parents so adamant about her taking dance lessons then? What she doesn’t understand is why do they have to do it wearing masks? Wasn’t the whole point of this ball to find a decent man she can consider marrying? 

“This is stupid.” Shuhua huffed.

“Language, princess.” Raising an eyebrow at the sulking princess, the Queen handed Shuhua a  _ really _ big book she had picked up from the side table. “Now, you are to decide what theme or decorations you want prepared on the day of the ball. Your father and I will have the list of young suitors from around the country ready, just to give you a bit of heads up on who is attending your ball.” Shuhua was close to dozing off. This planning talk is really draining what’s left of her day energy. “ Oh and by the way, I got you a new instructor.” This caught the younger’s attention.

Shuhua set the thick book on her lap before turning to look at her mother. “What for?”

“You are expected to dance with your suitors of course. We need to have you prepared for that.” Wasn’t she already in a dance lesson? Shuhua thought this was just a waste of time. Not only will she be spending the remaining precious free time of her in some dance lesson she probably will ditch, but she also wasn't comfortable with the idea of dancing in front of a new person. As if she read her thoughts, the Queen scooched closer to the younger and placed an arm around her. “Give it a chance, will you? This instructor doesn’t seem too bad. She’s around your age, so I’m hoping it wouldn’t be too hard to get along, eh?”

She looked at the hopeful expression in her mother’s eyes. It’s a foreign yet familiar sight to Shuhua. She knows how her mother just wants what's best for her. Having to go through the same thing as a teenager, her mother knew the stress that comes along with preparing for something this important. Shuhua thought about it for a moment.  _ It wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot right?  _ At the end of the day, everything that she did, everything that she is, and everything that she will be is for the future of the country. The future of  _ her  _ country.


	2. Cherry Wine

Shuhua has never been late to any occasion, meeting, or event in her life, how could she when these are all held at their palace, but for some reason, Shuhua found herself rushing to the ballroom with her hair done messily, one shoe untied, and the other one on her hand.  _ So much for being a model princess everyone is supposed to look up to.  _

Reaching the ballroom doors, Shuhua made sure she at least looked decent. Today is supposedly the day she meets the new instructor who was to help her and teach her the choreography for the masquerade ball. Straightening out her top, Shuhua pushed the door open and made her way in. Her eyes scanned the room, it was almost empty except for Shuhua, her mother, and a tall, bob-haired girl who had her back against Shuhua and seemed to be listening intently to what the Queen was saying.

The Queen must have noticed her presence as her gaze shifted from who Shuhua assumed was the dance instructor to the girl who just entered the room. “You’re late.” Her mother shot her a disappointed look before motioning her to come closer. “I expect that this will be the last time. You were taught better than this.”

Shuhua hung her head low, seemingly guilty of being tardy. “I’m sorry mother.”  _ Note to self, don’t binge watch a drama when you’re due to an important meeting the next day. _

Finding the floor more interesting to look at, Shuhua missed the way the girl in front of her turned to face her. “I’m sure she won’t do it again, your Majesty.” An unfamiliar voice spoke. Shuhua could tell that the girl was looking at her when she said that. Lifting her head up, she met gazes with the bob-haired girl who was  _ boldly  _ studying her from head to toe. “Isn’t that right, Princess?”

Shuhua did not know why but she felt vulnerable, somehow naked and exposed to the girl’s gaze. The way the other girl was eyeing her made her want to succumb into her non-existent shell and stay there. She was used to being a figure under the eyes of many people but with the way this girl was staring at her, Shuhua felt insecure. “I- Yes. I promise to be more punctual.” 

“Good. I’m guessing you are well capable of introducing yourself to our guest?” Earning a nod from the young girl, the Queen excused herself but not before stopping by the door and calling out the princess. “And please fix your hair, you look like a mess.” 

“I think you look fine,” The other girl spoke as soon as the door shut behind the Queen. Shuhua turned back to look at the taller girl and only when her eyes fell on the girl that she got a proper look on her. The girl had a short black hair that fell just above her shoulders and a thin layer of bangs to frame her small face.  _ Cute _ . She noticed the heart tattoo peeking out of the girl’s off-shoulder shirt.  _ Mom would kill me if I ever tried to get one. _ Travelling her gaze lower- “Are you done staring?”

“I’m not staring!” Shuhua doesn’t know why she was being so defensive, probably because she was caught in 4K. She averted her gaze to anywhere but the taller girl, successfully turning her face to hide her burning cheeks. Although she was pretty sure the other girl saw her crimson red face, if she did, she didn’t say anything about it.

“Sure...” There was a moment of silence before Shuhua heard footsteps nearing her. Soon enough, the taller girl was in front of her, extending a hand out to which Shuhua looked at confusingly, tilting her head to the girl who had a smile on her face. “The name is Seo Soojin. 20 years old. Nice to meet you, princess.”

Shuhua did not know if it was her eyes playing tricks on her but she swore she saw the older girl wink at her. Not wanting to think deeper into things, Shuhua took the girl’s hand into her own and shot a soft smile at the older girl. “Yeh Shuhua. Turning 18.”

~

Sure, dancing is Shuhua’s favourite thing to do, but not even her old dance mentors could prepare her for the intensity of Seo Soojin’s dance lessons. They’re not even halfway to the whole choreography but Shuhua wanted nothing more in that moment to head to bed and ditch her dance training session. “Tell me again why you’re making me suffer like this.” Shuhua slumped to the floor as soon as the older girl called a break.

“Stop being so dramatic,” Soojin jokingly said, giggling at the sight of the princess who looked more like a kid. She grabbed a water bottle and handed it to the panting princess. “It only seems hard because you’re still learning the steps. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with it, putting it all together will be a piece of cake.”

“I want cake.” The younger whined. 

Soojin could only shake her hair at the princess’ cuteness. “Fine, we’ll have cake after.” This sentence put a bright smile on Shuhua’s face as she let out the cutest eye smile before standing from her spot and bounced her way to the middle of the practice room. 

Shuhua stared at her expectantly and Soojin tilted her head at the younger, looking confused. “What are you waiting for? Teach me the dance! I can’t possibly do this dance without a partner, right?” 

“R-right,” Soojin for sure did not know why she stuttered but maybe it was the sight of this childish and determined side to the princess that caught her off guard or the fact that the younger girl called her  _ partner _ . Soojin shook her head free of her thoughts before she could even give herself any weirder idea. 

Soojin took her place beside the younger girl and held out a hand to the princess. “Ideally, the male is the one leading the girl during the dance. Here, take my hand, I'll guide us around the dance floor. Don't worry too much about mastering the dance all at once, we'll do this at your pace."

It was a simple statement, but this got Shuhua's heart racing. She knew what the girl said didn't mean anything. At least it wasn't supposed to, but deep down Shuhua tried to decipher what else the other girl could mean with her words. Sighing, Shuhua placed her palm on top of Soojin's.

The next moves of the dancer was something Shuhua was definitely not expecting. As soon as she handed her palm to the older girl, Soojin tugged her closer, leaving only a few centimeters of space between them. The older girl then grabbed the younger's other arm with her free hand and placed it on top of her shoulder. Before she could proceed, she glanced at the princess who was waiting for Soojin's next move. The younger’s gaze followed the free arm of the girl and figured that the older girl was hesitant. "It’s okay. You can hold my waist."

Soojin nodded and gently wrapped her arm around the princess' slim waist. Bringing the girl closer, Soojin closed the gap between them, ignoring the way her heart was going wild against her chest. She just wishes the younger wouldn't feel it with the proximity there is between them. She guided them across the dance floor like she said, occasionally adding some turns and dips. As the background music progressed, the two got seemingly lost in their own world, forgetting the routine. Both of them noticed but no one decided to stop.

~

"How long have you been dancing?" The two are currently walking around Shuhua’s favourite part of the palace. She wanted to show Soojin around because she noticed how the only places the dancer has been to is the room she was staying in and the practice room. 

Soojin hummed, "I've been dancing for as long as I can remember. It was something I had picked up growing up since both my parents were dancers too.” Shuhua nodded at this. Stopping at her tracks she gently bent down to a nearby flower bush and plucked a bloomed flower from it. Smelling the freshly picked flower, the princess placed it close to her chest, a light shade of red spreading through her cheeks. Soojin eyed the girl carefully, watching her every move.

The princess was unlike any person she had ever met. Despite her carefreeness, which Soojin totally adores  _ by the way _ , she was very graceful, smart,  _ and very beautiful _ . The way she moves at times is so delicate that the dancer feels like she’s going to break any moment but Soojin knew better. Behind her elegant facade, Shuhua is a tough girl. She’s strong and determined, a trait that Soojin had always admired from the princess because the dancer herself knows she isn’t as tough as the younger girl.

Soojin had been giving dance lessons for almost half of her life. She had always been praised for being so diligent with what she does and making sure she always gets the job done. But lately with Shuhua, Soojin found it rather hard to focus on teaching the younger girl their lessons. No, it’s not because Shuhua was a difficult student, it was more of a problem from Soojin’s side. Somehow Soojin loses sense of sobriety as she gets drunk on the princess’ stares who would look at her intently whenever Soojin is demonstrating a dance move. She thought she was about to lose it during their previous session where Shuhua pressed close to the older girl, looking at Soojin with her big doe-like eyes of hers, asking  _ “like this?”, _ as she placed both of her arms around the taller girl’s neck.

Reaching the spot where Shuhua would usually hangout, she pulled Soojin with her to the open field of the garden. “So this is where you usually disappear to.” The princess nodded at that. Shuhua once mentioned to Soojin that before all of this, she would normally spend time on her own in her  _ happy place _ . She studied the place meticulously, it was very serene, a place where Soojin would want to hang out as well. She glanced at the younger girl beside her who took a big breath of fresh air, meeting the eyes of the older girl, Shuhua urged her to do the same. “Hey, want to learn a new dance?”

Before the younger girl could even protest, the dancer took both of her hands positioning it to something similar to what she had been learning in the past few weeks although this time, Soojin’s grip on her is tighter - not in a way that it would hurt. She held the younger girl closer to her, palm to palm, chest on chest, and her leg slid in between the younger’s. Despite the cold weather, Shuhua felt her body heating up with their current position. Chuckling nervously, she asked “What is this dance?” 

“This is called tango,” Soojin said, leaning in closer to the younger girl, she whispered, “It is a very sensual dance per se, a little like a  _ seduction _ .” Oh God help Shuhua because she was seduced enough already. If Soojin was unable to focus in the entirety of their sessions, Shuhua was just as out of focus as the dancer is. It was hard trying to remember the entire choreography when all she could think about is the way the dancer would move. 

“A-ah, I see.” Desperately hiding her blushing face from the older girl, she missed to see the dancer harbouring the same look on her face as she danced them around the garden.

“You know, for a really fine dancer,” Soojin murmured, her lips grazing the side of the princess’ face at their closeness, “You’re doing an equally fine job at pretending you’re terrible at dancing. I’ve seen you dancing alone in the practice room. You’re better than this.” The princess blushed harder - caught out.

The reason was because Shuhua liked it when Soojin would step close to correct her. She liked the excuse of extending hours of practice in a day just so she can spend more time with the dancer. And she loved the fact that she can be herself around the older girl. Once she knew how to dance, would her mother send the dancer away? “I’m not - uh - comfortable with dancing in front of other people.” It wasn’t really a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either.

“Your mother was wondering how you haven’t been improving in time for the ball.” Shuhua panicked at this. She clearly has not thought about her mother noticing her slow progress. 

Lighting nipping at her bottom lip, she glanced up at Soojin, “Did I get you into trouble? Because if I did, I am really truly deeply sorry. I’ll work harder-”

“Hey, don’t worry too much!” Soojin giggled, holding the girl by her shoulders to calm her down. She offered the princess a reassuring smile and guided her to the nearby bench. “You’ve been nothing but a really great student, princess. I always make sure that your mom is aware of that whenever she asks for updates.”  _ Student. _ She felt a bitter taste in her mouth after saying the word.  _ That’s right. She is my student and I’m just her teacher. _

“Is everything okay?” Soojin felt a hand on her cheek, turning her head to face Shuhua who was looking at her with a worried expression. “You seem bothered by something. Are you certain that I did not get you in any kind of trouble?” 

The younger girl was still caressing her face that Soojin wanted nothing more than to give in to this warmth but the dancer knew this was not right. As much as she hates to do this, she took the younger’s hand from her face into her own. She felt her own heart frowning at the sad look that is starting to appear on the princess’ face. “I-I think, m-maybe,”  _ Now is not the right time to stutter _ . She said to herself. She cleared her throat before continuing, “I think that you should find yourself another instructor.”

At this point, Shuhua was more confused than worried, “But why?”

Soojin knows why and she was not ready to tell but she knew she had to give the princess a reason. A believable one at least, “You’re already a great dancer and think I’ve taught you everything that I know.”

The dancer knew the princess didn’t buy it. She was looking at her with arms now folded across her chest and an expression on her face that seems to be challenging the older girl. “You know, it is a crime to lie to one’s princess.” Wearing the same expression, Shuhua stood from her seat, only this time she had that innocent but alluring smile growing on her lips that Soojin finds herself going crazy for.

“Why?” Was the only thing Soojin could say. She was lost for words because only then did she figure out the meaning behind the younger girl’s smile. _She knows._ _God, she knew all this time didn’t she? Was I that obvious?_ But Soojin knew she was not trying to be subtle either.

  
She watched as the princess took out her own phone, a smile surfacing her own face as she heard a song playing from the device.  _ Cherry Wine. _ It was a song that she had recommended to the younger girl a few days back. It was poetic and serene but the meaning behind the lyrics are so much deeper. A perfect song for falling in love to. Humming along to the tune, the younger girl held a hand out to which the dancer gladly took. “Let me show you what I’ve learnt.”


	3. Be my partner

Time flew by faster than anyone would have wanted, and finally the day of Shuhua’s 18th birthday has come. To say that the princess was nervous was an understatement, she was completely distressed. With the real time preparations for her ball, people coming in and out of her room, everything was happening all at once that she felt her head about to explode. 

Shuhua wanted to escape to the garden. She knew she couldn’t because the moment she opened her eyes that morning, people were already in her room doing the pre-preparations for the princess. She let out a huff as she stared at herself in the mirror. They were currently dolling her up, not that she needed it though. The princess was pretty enough even without make-up but it just made sense as she had to look her best for the sea of suitors she was about to meet.

_ Those poor men _ . The Princess felt bad for them but she felt bad for herself much more. A month ago, the idea of marrying herself off to a man she would meet at her ball doesn’t sound that bad afterall, her ancestors went through the same thing. However, whenever she thinks about it now, she will feel her stomach churning at the thought.

“Wipe that frown off your face, you’ll get wrinkles.” Her mother commented. The Queen has been monitoring the princess since the day started. She had been onto her the moment she stepped out from her bath, making sure if she cleaned each crevice of her body. She had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at her mother who was acting like she was incapable of taking care of herself. “Yeh Shuhua.” Her mother warned when she saw the young girl frowning further.

She sees her mom narrowing her eyes at her through the mirror so in return, she gave the biggest fake smile. Oh, the Queen was annoyed but she ignored the childish act from the princess and averted her attention to preparing the gown which was laid out nicely on the bed.

After putting on the gown, everyone in the room was in awe. Not only did the princess look stunning but she also looked like a real life replica of a fairy. It was a long green gown that reached the floor with multiple layers to it making it a bit puffy, perfect for when she spins on the dance floor. Looking at herself one last time in the mirror, Shuhua had her hair down, styled simply just like how she likes it and the make-up she had on wasn’t overwhelming. She looks perfect.

“You look perfect, princess.” Turning her head to where the sound came from, she saw her dance instructor by the door, wearing a dress similar in color to hers. The dress Soojin was wearing left Shuhua little to no imagination with how short it was. The one sleeve dress of the girl exposed the heart tattoo grew fond of since the first day she saw it. God, she wants nothing more than to trace that inked shape on the older girl’s skin but she had to stop herself from letting her eyes wander longer before anyone in the room could notice. “I’m sorry for disturbing you all, but I wanted to hand my present for the princess personally, if that’s okay?”

“No worries Lady Seo, the princess is pretty much done with her grooming.” The Queen spoke. The older lady stepped closer to the dancer, offering her a small smile. Over the past couple of weeks, the Queen also grew fond of the young dancer, almost treating her like a daughter. “You’ve done so much during the past month and I wanted to thank you for that. If there is anything that the Royal Family can help you with, let us know and we’ll gladly be of help. I know Shuhua here would want that too. We can leave you two alone, if you wish.”

“I would appreciate that, your Majesty.” The Queen ordered everyone in the room to pack up and head out, also seeing herself out once the others had left but not before sending a look at the dancer, one that Soojin could not quite make sense of. 

“You have quite an impact on the Yeh ladies, huh?” The princess said. She sat at the edge of her bed, scooting a bit to the side and motioning the older girl to sit beside her.

Genuinely confused, Soojin tilted her head at the younger. “What do you mean?” 

“Don’t tell me you did not see how mother was basically shooting a very fond look at you.” Raising her eyebrow at the dancer who sat still, staring at the princess for a good number of seconds before bursting into fits that had Shuhua confused. “Why are you laughing?”

“Are you perhaps - jealous?” The dancer managed to say in between her giggles. She was side eyeing the younger girl who now had a shocked expression on her face.

"What? Me jealous of my mother? Ew, No!" Shuhua had disgust all over her face, never in a million years did she see her mother as a competition, especially not when it comes to  _ the love of her life _ .

"Relax I'm kidding! Besides, you misunderstood my statement. What I meant was if you were jealous that your mother would prefer me as her daughter over you." Soojin was smirking. She knew she had accidentally outed herself, basically spewing out her feelings to the dancer. "Also, you did say  _ 'Yeh ladies' _ , were you pertaining to yourself as well?"

Mentally slapping herself for having such a slippery mouth, Shuhua kept mum. She was more timid and careful than this but whenever she's around Soojin, Shuhua’s carefree side takes over.

Seeing how the younger stayed silent, as much as she loved the reactions she was getting, she decided to stop teasing the younger  _ for now. _ "Yeh Shuhua," the dancer called out. This is the first time the dancer used her actual name instead of calling her 'princess'. Hearing this brought a burst of wild butterflies in her stomach. She had to once again hide her tomato red face to keep her from further embarrassment. "Shuhua, look at me."  _ There it is again. _ Hearing her name from the older girl somehow brought color to her once lifeless name.

Bringing her head up to meet the older's gaze, she felt herself choke on air. "Yes?" She managed to choke out.

"I have something for you," Soojin grabbed Shuhua’s hands, placing a small red box in her hand. The dancer gave the younger a smile, encouraging her to open the present. "It's probably nothing compared to what you have but I got this made for you." Shuhua took out the necklace from the box, and studied it, noticing a familiar flower as it's pendant. "That one is a carnation, it's your birth month flower. I got the idea from when we would go to the garden and saw how much you loved the flowers there." The princess handed the necklace back to the dancer which had Soojin frowning, "Do you not like-"

"Place it on me." She turned around, lifted her hair up, exposing her neck to the dancer. She felt a shiver surge through her body when the dancer's hand touched her skin. She didn't know for how long she was holding her breath, only letting out a sigh when she heard the girl mumble a small 'done'. "It's perfect Soojin, I love it. And don't say that this is just nothing. I'll cherish this much more than any jewelries I own because it's from you. Thank you."

Soojin blushed at the younger’s words. Letting out a small cough, the dancer stood from the bed and held her arm out for the princess. "Let's head down to the ball, shall we? I'm sure everyone is anticipating your arrival."

~

"I have this really cute puppy at home named Loli. Just the other day, she was following me around and was about to follow me to the bathroom but I ordered her to stay by the door. When I got out after washing my face, she was still there. Isn't that so cute?" The guy was looking at Shuhua expectantly.

"Uh huh, so cute." She tried sounding enthusiastic but might have failed a little bit, regardless, the guy didn't seem to care as he continued to ramble on about anything and everything. This was her -  _ uhm  _ \- she might have lost count but it's definitely more than ten. She felt as if for every guy she danced with, she lost a portion of her will to carry on. 

"Oh and we have this cute little hamster named-"  _ Oh my God, when will he stop? _ Shuhua tried her best to block out the rambling monster, not noticing the new presence heading her way.

"Your Highness, may I have this dance?" A voice asked. Shuhua lifted her gaze to the tall figure beside her current dance partner, Jaebeom? Jaehyun? Jaemin? She doesn't remember. "May I dance with you?" The guy once again asked when the princess wasn't responding.

"Uh sure." She loosened herself from the grip of the Jae dude. The guy took this as a sign and bowed to the princess before seeing himself off.

"Talkative one is he? Daniel is the name by the way." He held his hand out for the princess but instead of shaking her hand, he brought it close to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on the back of her hand.

Now this for sure caught Shuhua off guard, none of the guys she danced with before had the audacity to do this but Daniel had some guts. Before she could even respond, Shuhua felt a burning stare drilling a hole on her back. Trying to locate the cause of the rising bumps on Shuhua’s skin, she was only met with Soojin with her back facing the princess, making her way out of the ballroom.

Shuhua wanted to go after the girl, she really did but she can't just leave Daniel who she was dancing with and as the courteous princess she is, she actually finished a dance session with the guy. After giving a curtsy to her last dance partner - because more started coming after Daniel, Shuhua frantically searched the room with her eyes to see if the older girl came back. Searching that big ballroom for the dancer, Shuhua was unsuccessful. She was close to passing out with her energy drained from the amount of men she had danced with.

Shuhua did not know how many times she sighed that night, doing another one before she could even stop herself. She wasn’t not supposed to be this upset on her birthday, heck, she was not even sure why she was upset in the first place. Maybe it was because she missed the older girl. _ But you saw her this morning _ . Of course she knows that, but could you blame her when she has gotten very much used to spending the majority of her day with the dancer. “This is clingy behavior, Yeh Shuhua.” She muttered to herself.

Feeling another presence coming towards her, Shuhua was about to tell off the guy wanting to rid herself of another dance session. She noticed that it was the Queen, as graceful as ever, walking towards Shuhua’s direction. What confused the younger though was that her mother didn’t stop to where Shuhua stood, instead she passed by the younger but not before whispering to her, “She’s in the garden, if you’re looking for her.” before proceeding to walk towards the party guests and greet them.

Shuhua had the most dumbfounded look on her face, stunned in her place with her eyes still following her mother.  _ How did she - you know what nevermind. _ Shuhua bolted to the castle garden, ignoring the suitors on her way there who were attempting to create a conversation with her.

Reaching her happy place, she instantly saw the unmistakable figure of the dancer. “Soojin…” She called out. The older girl looked up from her slumped state, a smile replacing the lorn look on her face as she caught sight of the princess. “Why did you leave the ball so early?”

Soojin hummed, “I’m not really fond of big crowds.” She was holding back, Shuhua noticed, as the older girl was suddenly avoiding her gaze, looking at anywhere but her. Shuhua wanted to push further, but decided not to, instead she took a seat beside Soojin at the bench. They spent the next couple of minutes with no words exchanged rather a couple of subtle glances they would throw when they thought the other wasn’t looking, occasionally meeting gazes that would cause a shade of red to appear on both of the girls’ faces. “You danced really great tonight,” The dancer broke the silence. “Those dance lessons really paid off. You shined on that dance floor, Yeh Shuhua.”

“Although, I would’ve preferred dancing with someone else on that dance floor more than any of those suitors…” Shuhua was getting bold as she inched closer to the older girl, taking her hand in hers. “This might be the first time in history that a princess does this, but Seo Soojin, would you like to dance the night away with me?” Offering the older girl that signature smile of hers that she uses to charm her way through most situations, and the dancer giving in immediately. 

It’s a familiar scene, one they have done before when Shuhua took Soojin around the castle, only this time there was no music being played with only the synchronized beating of their hearts being heard. Both of the girls swayed to this newly found tune, with Shuhua’s arms wrapped around Soojin’s neck, the dancer’s hands placed on the princess’ waist, and their foreheads resting against each other. It was a very serene scene. Something both of them would like to look back on somewhere in the future along with the long list of their shared moments.

“This present I gave you,” Soojin brought her hand to the girl’s chest where the necklace was sitting on top of. Shuhua watched the girl look at the jewelry with a sad expression on her face. “Think of it as a farewell gift from me too.”

“You’re leaving?”

“You already know how to dance. Even from the start, I figured that my services are no longer needed.” What the dancer was saying is true. The reason why she still kept on doing the job was because right when she saw the young princess, she was intrigued. Curious of this girl with a tough and icy exterior but has eyes that hold millions of emotions. Soojin was rarely a nosy person but she wanted to get to know the princess better.

Shuhua didn’t know what to say. Soojin looked adamant about leaving but Shuhua was not about to let the older girl go without trying so she turned to her last resort. “I love you.” She blurted out. This is far from what she had planned for how her confession will go but she also knew she had to do something. “I mean - I,” Shuhua mentally cursed her voice for failing her, still Soojin kept silent as she let the younger girl continue. “I’m old enough to make the decisions, I decided whether or not your services are no longer needed.” She didn’t mean it to sound that harsh but Soojin didn’t look like she was bothered by it either. Sighing,  _ again _ , she took the girl’s hands in her own, “I want - no - I  _ need _ a trustworthy companion to practice with. I can hardly spend that much time with any suitor, and it would be improper for me to grow rusty.”

It was a silent proposal, but Soojin knew what the younger girl meant with every word she said. “You love me?” She softly asked, bringing a hand to the younger’s face to gently caress it. Shuhua immediately leaned in to the touch, a smile forming on her lips.

  
“ _ More than anything _ .” The space closed between the princess and the dance instructor with their lips softly connecting and as well as their hearts.


End file.
